1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of sport fishing and in particular is concerned with the method for securing skirt material to the lure bodies.
2. The Prior Art
The present invention is a type of fishing lure that includes a body, a hook, a skirt that conceals the hook, and sometimes a spinner that serves to attract the attention of the fish. Unlike the present invention, fishing lures known in the prior art typically had the hook rigidly integrated with the body, and this did not permit the hook to pivot freely in all directions. In contrast, the full range of angular movement achieved in the present invention results in a more lifelike movement of the bait. For example, the lure of the present invention is much more adaptable to use with buoyant bait.
Various techniques were used in the prior art to attach the strands or ribbons that made up the skirt to the body of the lure or to the shank of the hook. In contrast, in the present invention the strands that make up the skirt are quickly and securely attached, regardless of whether these strands consist of rubber, mylar, deer hair, plastic, etc. The method of the present invention results in a considerable saving of labor in the construction of a fish lure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,205,609 issued Sept. 14, 1965 to Knapton, there is shown a lure in which a double-ended hook is inserted through a body. However, the hook is not free to pivot with respect to the body, and a single ribbon-like "tail piece" extends through a passage in the body, but does not appear to be gripped by the shanks of the hook.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,264 issued Apr. 22, 1952 to Riner, there is disclosed a lure and a method for constructing it. The lure consists of a number of strands of rubber, each folded in half and the bundle being held by ferrules that encircle the bundle. There is no recognizable body to the lure, and the piece of wire that holds the hook does not retain the strands.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,133 issued Sept. 8, 1953, Sharps shows a lure that includes a hook whose shank extends through the body of the lure. The hook is not free to pivot with respect to the body, and tufts or feathers are said to be attached to the part of the hook that extends from the body. However, the precise manner in which the feathers are attached is not disclosed.
In French Pat. No. 1,309,423 issued Oct. 8, 1962, Maillet and Chalom disclose a lure that is constructed by first attaching some feathers to a wire, then inserting the wire into a body and finally attaching a hook to the free end of the wire that extends beyond the body. Thus, the feathers are on one end of the body and the hook is at the other end of the body. Further, the hook is not free to pivot with respect to the body.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,214,668 issued Sept. 10, 1940 to Erickson, there is shown a spoon hook lure to which is attached a bundle of feathers that are bound together at one end, but the feathers are not secured against the body of the lure; the feathers appear to extend from a ferrule.
Thus, although numerous techniques have been employed for constructing a lure, it appears that the advantageous technique of the present invention has not previously been known.